
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Congenital heart disease physical examination
Introduction
Physical Examination
Physical Examination
Pulse
- Tachycardia may be present
Respiratory Rate
- Tachypnea may be present
Eyes
Chest
- Wheezing may be present
Heart
Inspection
- Precordial bulge may be present
Palpation
- Thrill due to outflow tract obstruction or a restrictive ventricular septal defect
- Increased apical activity suggestive of left ventricular volume or pressure overload
Auscultation
- A single second heart sound occurs in the following conditions:
- Aortic atresia
- Pulmonary atresia
- Truncus arteriosus
- Conditions with pulmonary hypertension
- Widely or fixed split S2 occurs with atrial septal defect
- Early systolic clicks, which occur with semilunar valve stenosis, bicuspid aortic valve, and truncus arteriosus.
- Mid-systolic clicks, which are heard with mitral valve prolapse and with ebstein’s anomaly of the tricuspid valve.
- An S3 gallop, which, in infants, can result from ventricular dysfunction
- Murmurs
- Atrial septal defect: Systolic murmur heard best at the left upper sternal border
- Ventricular septal defect: Holosytolic murmur heard best at the left upper sternal border
- Patent ductus arteriosus: Machinery murmur heard best in the left infraclavicular region
- Tetralogy of fallot: A harsh systolic ejection murmur best heard at the left sternal border is usually present.
- Persistent truncus arteriosus: Systole ejection murmur is heard at the left sternal border
- Transposition of the great vessels: The murmur of a large PDA in d-TGA, is usually systolic, seldom continuos, due to the almost exclusive flow during systole from the aorta to the pulmonary artery. Systolic murmurs are absent in neonates unless a subpulmonic stenosis is present
- Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection: Systolic ejection murmur is heard at left upper sternal border. Diastolic murmur due to tricuspid regurgitation is also heard.
Abdomen
- Hepatomegaly often occurs in patient with congestive heart failure.
Extremities
- Skeletal abnormalities, especially those of the hand and arm, are often associated with cardiac malformations.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Kalsang Dolma, M.B.B.S.[2]
